Sting: The Secret Life of Gordon Sumner [Paperback]

Wensley Clarkson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 6, 1999

Gets behind the public image of one of rock's most complex and fascinating stars.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Although Clarkson has produced previous best-selling biographies of Tom Cruise and Mel Gibson, the author's latest effort does not live up to his abilities. This book is advertised by its American distributors as "the first-ever complete biography" of Sting. However, it does not include a complete discography or filmography, it is full of British slang that will be difficult for an American audience to follow, and the last third of the book?covering from about the 1985 demise of The Police to the present?reads like a series of newspaper clippings strung together. Still, earlier portions of the book detailing Sting's development are better and include interviews with people important in his growth to superstar. Recommended for public libraries who own no other books on Sting or The Police.?Regina L. Beach, Mississippi State Univ. Libs.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

About the Author

Wensley Clarkson wrote A Year in La La Land and numerous biographies of Hollywood stars, including John Travolta, Tom Cruise, and Quentin Tarantino. He lives in London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 368 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 6, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 156025226X
• ISBN-13: 978-1560252269
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.9 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,312,425 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars A Waste Of A Good Tree, August 10, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Sting: The Secret Life of Gordon Sumner (Hardcover)

This is possibly the first attempt to write a 'definitive' biography of Sting, and in our view it fails spectacularly. Borrowing extensively from previous books - especially Sutcliffe and Fielder's "L'Historia Bandido" - and press cuttings the book is littered throughout with careless errors, and dwells, tabloid fashion, on the more sensationalist and 'media friendly' issues such as drugs, his sex life, and his involvement in the rainforest. In an 'exclusive' interview he gave to the Daily Express newspaper at the time of the book's release, Sting said - "I have led a pretty wild life, but none of it's in the book". He gave a more succinct review on Virgin radio when he said that the book was "crap". We don't disagree - it was fun to read at the time because it is about Sting, but it left you feeling a guilty and a little queasy afterwards.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't waste your time or money, December 9, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Sting: The Secret Life of Gordon Sumner (Paperback)

This is by far the worst book ever written about Sting. Just by reading it you can tell that the author does not like Sting at all. Sting himself even said the book was (bad)and that none of it is true. So if you are a Sting fan or just want to learn more about the man, don't buy this book, get the "all this time" dvd and you can actually see what of person he is.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Tawdry, cheap, and utterly not worth your time., January 8, 2005

By 

Nicole N. Pellegrini "sockii" (Philadelphia, PA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sting: The Secret Life of Gordon Sumner (Hardcover)

If you're looking to learn about Sting, this is not the book for you. It reads like a cheap tabloid story, quoting anonymous sources for wild accusations, being downright mean to its subject (and also Sting's former bandmates in The Police, Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers). While Sting may have his share of skeletons in his closet and has no doubt lived a wild life, there is little in this book to lead you to actually believe the stories Clarkson tells. Reading this book also left me feeling vaguely uneasy and embarassed, as if I was taking part in spreading and giggling over naughty, mean-spirited gossip like teenage girls in a schoolyard. It's just that juvenile. NOT recommended.